Engineers flag 'systemic neglect' after Delhi ATC collapse

Days after a major air traffic control (ATC) failure at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) disrupted more than 800 flights and led to several cancellations on Friday, aviation engineers have written to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, warning that the incident exposed years of systemic neglect and the continued use of outdated technology within the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

In a letter sent on Sunday to Civil Aviation Minister Gautam Yogendra, Chief Coordination Member of the Air Traffic and Safety Electronics Personnel Association (ATSEPA–India), the representative body of Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) engineers, said the latest breakdown “has once again highlighted a long-standing and serious concern repeatedly raised by ATSEPA–India: the neglect of CNS infrastructure and the persistent sidelining of technical inputs provided by CNS engineers to AAI leadership.”

The letter, marked to the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, the AAI Chairman, and Member (Air Navigation Services), referred directly to the disruption at Delhi Airport, saying: “Despite early warnings, proposals, and continuous representations, CNS system upgrade, redundancy creation, and proper deployment of trained engineers have not been taken up with the urgency required for a 24x7 essential aviation service.”

Calling the disruption a “Technology Failure, Not Manpower Shortage,” the letter read: “The crisis originated from outdated systems such as AMSS that lack redundancy and modern capability. Instead of acknowledging these core issues, public attention has been misdirected toward ATCO manpower, even though ATCOs already have more than sufficient strength.”

It further said that the situation was worsened by the absence of readiness for manual fallback during automation breakdowns. “A critical concern observed during recent disruptions is that ATCOs remain heavily dependent on automated systems, and even in failure scenarios, manual fallback is often resisted or inadequately executed, leading to accumulation of errors and operational delays,” the letter said.

“This is a direct consequence of over-reliance on automation without parallel strengthening of CNS infrastructure, manual procedures, and technical preparedness,” it added.

ATSEPA (India) also criticised AAI for misusing skilled engineers by assigning them to non-technical roles. “AAl currently deploys highly trained CNS engineers in many non-technical or low-utility postings, while critical stations face shortages,” the letter said.

“For a modern aviation system, it is vital that CNS engineers are deployed strictly for CNS duties; their technical inputs are considered during planning and procurement; modernised systems with redundancy are prioritised; and training and skill-building are upgraded to global standards,” the association emphasised.

In its concluding appeal, ATSEPA–India made four formal requests to the Ministry: to initiate immediate CNS modernisation across major airports with dedicated funding; to instruct AAI to include CNS engineers’ recommendations in system procurements; to ensure proper utilisation of their manpower by avoiding diversion to non-CNS roles; and to review ATM operational practices that discourage manual fallback or rely excessively on outdated automation.

The letter concluded: “Sir, aviation safety today requires strong technology, competent technical manpower, and modern systems, not expansion of supervisory posts or narratives that shift focus away from real causes. ATSEPA (INDIA) remains committed to supporting the Ministry in building a reliable, modern, and resilient aviation infrastructure for the country.”